Brains On! – How Metal Wires Changed the World!

Podcast: Brains On! Science podcast for kids
Host: Molly Bloom
Co-host: Ava (West Melbourne, Florida)
Guest Expert: Dylan Thuras (Co-founder of Atlas Obscura)
Episode Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and informative episode, Molly Bloom and co-host Ava wrap up their three-part series on metal by exploring how metal wires revolutionized global communication. With guest expert Dylan Thuras, they trace the fascinating history of wire-made wonders—from the first experiments with electricity to the birth of the telegraph, the laying of the first transatlantic cable, and the electrification of the modern world. The episode balances science, history, and humor, keeping young listeners engaged with soundscapes, games, and fun side-quests.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Superpowers” of Metal

• Metals as superheroes:
  • Molly introduces the metaphor of metal as “Clark Kent”—an ordinary material with hidden powers.

    "But like Clark, metals also have hidden superpowers." – Molly Bloom (00:43)

  • Dylan Thuras explains that, by the 1600s-1700s, people were discovering more than just the strength of metal—they noticed how metals could carry electric shocks and signals.

    "People had started to realize back in the even the 1600s and 1700s, that metal had some very interesting properties besides what you could make out of it." – Dylan Thuras (00:48)

2. The Industrial Revolution and the Age of Wires

• Industrial changes:

  • Molly and Ava set the scene:

    “Something else major was happening in Europe and the US: the Industrial Revolution.” – Ava (05:18)

  • The introduction of steam engines marked a shift from muscle and renewable energy to coal-powered machinery.

    "For the first time in history, you were not just dependent on either muscle power or renewable power to get stuff done." – Dylan Thuras (06:00)

• Making lots of wire:

  • Major breakthrough: mass production of metal wire in the late 1700s and 1800s set the stage for new inventions.

3. Electricity & Metal: Groundbreaking Discoveries

• Early experiments:
  • Stacking zinc and copper sheets with saltwater-soaked rags created an electric current (early batteries).

    "...if you stack zinc and copper, sheets of zinc and copper, and you separate them... it starts to create an electrical current." – Dylan Thuras (06:29)

  • Scientists realized some metals are better at carrying electricity than others.

4. The Birth of the Telegraph

• Communication problems:

  • Before wires, messages traveled by horse, train, or boat—a process that could take weeks or months.

    "You could put it on a boat, you could put it on a horse... that could take weeks if you were traveling from one country to the other, you know, across an ocean. Holy moly. That could take months." – Dylan Thuras (12:56)

• How the telegraph worked:

  • Metal wires + electricity = ability to send electric “pulses” (signals) between places.

    “Electricity can travel through wires way faster than boats or horses or trains move.” – Molly Bloom (13:13)

  • Morse Code: Short and long pulses for letters—used by operators to send messages.
    • Example walkthrough: Sending "Happy birthday, Mom" across the wire (14:20–14:56).

• Impact:

  • Messages could now be sent almost instantly—a revolutionary shift in global communication.

    "...those electric signals are moving close to the speed of light." – Dylan Thuras (13:32)

5. The Transatlantic Cable

• The next frontier:

  • Crossing the ocean was a new challenge: Could a wire be stretched from North America to Europe under the sea?

    "There's a big plan to say we are going to create a transoceanic telegraph cable." – Dylan Thuras (18:44)

  • 1858: The first, giant metal wire coil was laid across the Atlantic. It worked—briefly.

    "Queen Victoria sends a lovely, flowery message to President Buchanan... For a few weeks... then it stops working." – Dylan Thuras (19:33)

• Failure and persistence:

  • The first cable failed because it was too weak, but inventors tried again with stronger materials.
  • After about a decade, a lasting cable succeeded—a giant leap toward modern, instant global communication.

    "It took about 10 years, but success. It worked. And this time it kept working." – Molly Bloom (20:18)

6. Wires Change Everything

• Beyond the telegraph:

  • Progress didn’t stop with Morse code.
    • Telephones sent voices over wires.
    • Electric power reached homes via wires.
    • The internet still relies on cables—though now with plastics and fiberglass.

• Collaboration is key:

  • Invention is a team effort over time, not just about one person’s “lightbulb moment.”

    "...it's actually a much more organic, much weirder, much slower, much more collaborative process." – Dylan Thuras (21:43)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Metals as Superheroes:

  "Metal seems normal enough. Metals are solid, strong materials that are generally great to make stuff with. But like Clark, metals also have hidden superpowers." – Molly Bloom (00:35–00:48)

• Breakthrough with Electricity:

  "If you stack zinc and copper... and you separate them with... a rag soaked in seawater, it starts to create an electrical current." – Dylan Thuras (06:29)

• On the telegraph’s revolutionary speed:

  "You could send a message almost in real time, because those electric signals are moving close to the speed of light." – Dylan Thuras (13:32)

• On crossing the ocean:

  "We're going across the ocean with this wire trailing behind this steamship." – Dylan Thuras (19:15)

• On invention:

  "Sometimes we have this idea in our head that one person has an idea... but it's actually a much more organic, much weirder, much slower, much more collaborative process." – Dylan Thuras (21:43)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:16 | Introduction: Metals & Superpowers analogy | | 04:11 | The journey: From ancient metalwork to wire making | | 05:18 | Setting: The Industrial Revolution & energy breakthroughs | | 06:29 | Early electricity experiments with metals | | 12:28 | Linking: Cheap, long metal wires + electricity + slow mail = new era | | 13:23 | Birth of the telegraph: How it worked, Morse code explained | | 18:44 | Crossing the ocean: The transatlantic cable and its challenges | | 20:18 | Success! The permanent transatlantic cable and its ripple effect | | 21:43 | How invention actually happens: Collaboration & the slow road to progress |

Fun Moments & Listener Engagement

• Mystery Sound!
  • Listeners guess a strange metal sound (later revealed to be an egg rolling in a mixing bowl).

    "Hi, my name is Ben and I live from Western Virginia. That was a sign of an egg rolling in a mixing bowl." (24:56)

• Silly sidebars:
  • Grand opening of Brains On headquarters with a “reverse piñata” and comically large gold scissors (23:01–23:14).
• Mailbag Segment:
  • Kids suggest fun rooms for the new headquarters (e.g., a pillow fort room, a tornado room, a food-ordering room).

Conclusion

The episode shows how metal wires have connected the world—literally and figuratively. From the depths of dying stars to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, humans have unlocked metal’s secret abilities and changed society forever. The episode closes with the message that great inventions are the result of collaborative effort and many small steps, not just one big idea.

Further Exploration

• Want to know how metals are made? Listen to Parts 1 and 2 of the series.
• Curious about the Internet and underwater cables? Listen to the episode How the Internet Works.

Credits & Acknowledgments

• Written by Sam Taunton
• Produced by Molly Bloom
• Sound design/theme music by Mark Sanchez
• Guest expert: Dylan Thuras
• Special thanks to kid contributors, voice actors, and listeners.

Quote to Remember:

"It's actually a much more organic, much weirder, much slower, much more collaborative process." – Dylan Thuras (21:43)

[Episode structured for maximum engagement and understanding, with timestamped highlights and major takeaways.]